


Tamed but not broken

by Celebrusc



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU post Avengers, Coulson lives (shh its a secret), F/M, M/M, Slavery, Unseelie!Natasha, fae/seelie/vanir?whats the difference?, god!clint, serious mangling of myth and legend, weregild
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-05
Updated: 2014-04-05
Packaged: 2018-01-18 07:36:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1419846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celebrusc/pseuds/Celebrusc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All things considered, SHIELD had adapted very well to the discovery of magic and gods. But everyone was just lucky that the person Loki had decided to mind control was not actually human. Everyone that is, except Loki.</p><p>This is the one were Clint is a God, Loki almost caused a war (though this one was honestly an accident), and Clint demands Loki's service as weregild (payment) for the mind controlling thing. Then they both end up working for the Avengers and trying to hide who Clint actually is from Thor.<br/>The one were I mangle several mythologies and MARVEL cannon beyond recognition. Apologies for that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tamed but not broken

**Author's Note:**

> First intended multi chapter Fanfic I've posted, most of them stay on my computer or in my head.  
> A warning that it probably won't be updated particularly regularly, but I had a friend ( Panther ) griping she had never seen any of my stuff, and it is the one that I've been writing the most recently.  
> Constructive crit is always welcome, flames will be used to make tea.  
> Placed it as mature for now, but don't know how explicit this is going to go.
> 
> I don't own MARVEL, the Avengers or anything else you recognise here. Just playing in the sandbox.
> 
> I apologise for the jumpiness of the chapter, but this is to set the scene. It should become more fluid later when we get into the actual story.  
> Unbeta'd, so all mistakes are my own, and may be a result of posting this having just come back from a skiing holiday and being very short on sleep.  
> I think that covers everything so all that's left for me to say, if I haven't put you off already, is enjoy.

He shut the door behind him, feeling knots he hadn’t let himself notice untie themselves in his muscles as he toed off shoes and socks. Warm wood beneath his feet welcomed him home to the music of the tumble of the locks behind him. The apartment was small, one room, a single bed, desk, and small kitchenette, with a shower and toilet in the closet bathroom. There was only a single window, students lived in flats less bare. But, he reflected, dropping coat and tags onto the back of the chair, it was really all he needed. Stripping down he couldn’t help but be amused at how easy getting what he wanted had been, even though it had taken several weeks. Several weeks of isolation, prodding at by scientists, quizzed by shrinks, and trying not to claw at the wall. In the end it had been decided that the events that had transpired had not been his fault, there was no lasting damage, and that he should take several months leave for both himself and the agency to come to terms with what had happened. All of which he could of told them on day one. The one known as Hawkeye had to give SHIELD credit though as he stood naked in the moonlight, they had just found out about aliens and magic. They had adapted exceptionally quickly. Everyone was just lucky that the person Loki had decided to mindcontrol wasn’t human. Everyone that is, he mused as the light swirled and wove around him, except Loki.

****

“I wasn’t expecting you back at court so soon brother.”

Heaving himself from the water he shook himself sending spray everywhere before pausing to glare at the blonde feylike woman leaning against the right hand tree of the arch into his pool room.

“Wasn’t expecting to be back.”

The droplets stopped in front of her as though they had hit glass.

“What happened?”

“That _dresgat_ of an adopted Asgardian dared to make me call him Master.”

Her laughter fell like the tinkle of bells. “You, call someone Master? That dearest I would have payed to see.”

“He tried, but I twisted his weave. He was not half as skilled as he believed. But that does not change the intention.”

“No,” she agreed, suddenly serious, “it doesn’t, to attempt such with seidre.” She paused attempting to find words to describe the sacrilege, in the end only shaking her head in almost disbelief. “I assume you intend on demanding gild-price, what will you ask?”

“ Asgard has already consigned him to a prisoner’s cell, but I intend on to ask simply for like. Loki would have bound me to his will, to all intents and purposes did, even if he mucked up the spell. So as our treaty agrees I can, indeed should and will, call for the same, this time the roles reversed.”

“You would have one of Asgard’s princes on his knees at your feet?”

“In a word Sister mine? Yes. Now either make yourself useful and pass me that towel or leave.”

He barely managed to snatch the cloth out of the air in time. “I’m sure you’re capable of drying yourself, so I’ll go and see if you have anything in your wardrobe that is presentable. I’m hardly going to trust you to keep up with current fashions.”

“Hey!”

****

“Allfather.”

“Lady Freya, come in.”

The white haired King did not turn from the window as the Vanir stepped into his study, hesitantly entering and closing the door behind her as she took in the books and scrolls that lay around. She could hazard a guess as to his research project by the papers in her hand.

“Is it not beautiful?”

She moved to stand beside him and gazed out over the halls of Asgard glowing in the purples of late twilight, the torches and fires flicking and dancing. The cold stone and dead wood did hold a strange beauty she had come to appreciate over time, though it was nothing like her birthhome.

“It is.” They stood in silence for a moment before she spoke again. “Forgive me King, but I have a correspondence from the Vanir High Court. I believe it may be urgent, it is certainly important.” In fact in the entire time she had been a ‘ward’ of Asgard this was only the 3rd time such a correspondence had been sent. One of which had been a wedding announcement for one of the Asgardian wards of the Vanir.

He turned to face her then, and she had never seen his eye so weary, nor the weight of his knowledge lie so heavily on his shoulders. Not even when he had consigned his son to a spunglass prison, nor when he had named the same son dead. She knew, in that moment, that he knew exactly what the missive contained. Suddenly the letter felt like lead in her hand, and she had wished for that brief second to flee the room and spare the Aesir she had come to call friend this pain, this duty. But she knew even as he did that, she could not. The Norn’s had decided, and so it would be. So with a still and steady hand she passed over the scroll.

  
****

“I cannot believe it has come to this.”

“Nor can I, but if it is the truth we have no choice if we wish to keep the peace.” Frigga, Asgard’s Queen, paced the floor of the private presentation chamber as he husband sat pensive. The room was small, containing two thrones and enough room for maybe 15 people. Tapestries hung from the walls in an attempt to impart some warmth, but the hall was rarely used and it showed. Most of Asgard’s affairs were conducted publicly after all. 

“True Loki has been wild and restless recently, and I will not deny his crimes, but I can barely stand to see my son imprisoned, never mind what this calls for.”

“I know love, but come sit. Our guest will be here soon, nothing can be decided until then.”

“Maybe they will accept a lesser punishment.”

“Maybe.”

The rulers lapsed into silence at that false hope. A silence broken with the opening of the heavy oak door at the far end of the hall. The Lord Frey stepped through, leading a man dressed in a heavy cloak, green as the darkest forest, into the room.

“Odin King, Frigga Queen, may I present the First Prince of the Vanir High court, the Lord of the Winds, Keeper of the Birds, Hunter of the Sky.”

Odin inclined his head. “Prince.”

“King, Queen.” The bow, whilst simple, carried an elegance not common in the asgardian court.

“You are the one who makes the accusations against our son?”

“I am.”

“And you permit me to scan your magical signature to determine the validity of it?”

“I do.”

“And I to do the same.” Frigga spoke for the first time. Frey found himself holding his breath, the impertinence of such a demand…

“You may, I understand the pain and difficulty thus must bring you. I do not hold it against you wishing to perform the weave and cast yourself. I also permit, nay require, for all our sake’s that you do so both with the Runes and our magics. Which I know Lady Freya has been teaching you. It would not do to have any doubt with something of such grave a nature, and if you find a discrepancy, indeed I hope you do that the tension between our people is not strained, then I will withdraw my case immediately with the deepest apologies.”

“Thank you.” The Queen said simply.

****

Asgard suited Frey, the Prince had to admit as he followed him through the halls. The warrior had never been as embroiled in the court games as most at home, and the straight forwardness of their culture lent itself to his more ordered taming of the lands. Finally they stopped before an oaken door down a more out of the way corridor. This did not match Thor’s description of the main hall at all, it seemed that this was to be kept private. Entering the room he resisted the urge to flinch at the unyielding cut stone, only his time on Midgard kept his stride smooth as Frey announced him. Beneath his hood he studied the Royal family even as he bowed. Odin looked tired, resigned, the AllFather who had drunk from the well of knowledge, and his wife who knew the future had fury in her eyes, but it could not mask her despair. Everyone knew the results that this meeting would bring, but it could not stop the poison of hope. So when she spoke out, a manner which could be taken as the most insulting, he accepted it as what it was. A Mother trying to protect her child even from itself. He meant it too, when he said he hoped they found something else, for all he craved Loki at his feet, he had seen the madness and ragged edges of the God, and he would smooth those away and have him strong and fierce dancing by his side. A willing companion. He would make him whole, one way or another, even if he had to break him first. Besides, Asgard and the Vanir did not need another point of contention, never mind how awkward it would be working around the Thunder God.

Many hours passed within that hall, and Frigga, Odin, and even in the end Frey, then Freya, cast and sang charm after charm. In the end though the results remained unchanging. The spell had been cast. And he would accept no less a punishment. Loki would be his.

Idly he wondered who would be telling Thor.

****

“Is it not enough that you strip me of all that I am? Is it not enough that you imprison me behind this glass, like an insect, a common thug! No, you would consign me to slavery, for only doing what you taught me. One who you would call son. But that is hardly much of a leap, is it Father, for I have been little but a slave my whole life. Dancing on strings for your amusement. Look at the monster thinking he is one of us.”

“Loki” He squashed the brief flare of regret caused by the pain in his - _Mother’snonotmothernevermother_ -the woman who raised him’s voice. It was easily swallowed by the bitterness and pain.

“This is not our choice Loki, but a consequences of your actions. From the moment you broke the Vanir Treaty by trying to subjugate the will of one of them with seidre there was no other path.It is this or war.” The AllFather’s - _their’ sneverhis_ \- voice was flat and steady, authority without emotion.

The - _once_ -Prince slammed his hands against the spunglass growling “I. Did. No. Such. Act.” Enunciating every word.

“The Runes can not lie.”

“No,” Loki met the King’s eye. “But the Caster can.”

“Loki!” He didn’t turn at Frigg’s horrified cry as he left the implications hanging in the air.

“Be as that may, you will stand before the Vanir Council in 2 days time.”

“Am I not even to know the face, _the name_ , of my accuser?”

“You will see the High Prince in two days time.” Odin held out his hand for Queen and slowly with one last anguished - _nonotanguishedshedoesntcareshesnevercaredshedoesn't_ \- she turned with him to leave.

Loki threw out one last barb. “And what does Thor think of this?”

Odin paused, and looked back but it was Frigga who answered. “Your brother’s thoughts and feelings hold no bearing in this matter.” There was a slight hesitation. “No more than our own do.”

 

 


End file.
